Most Hyrox training advice assumes a full functional gym with sled, ski erg, rower, and 4 kg wall balls. Most people don't have access to one. This is the practical guide to training Hyrox from home, what you can substitute well, and what you can't.
The minimum kit
For most of an at-home Hyrox build, you need:
- One kettlebell, 16-24 kg. Covers swings, carries, single-arm work.
- A sandbag, 10-20 kg. Covers lunges, carries, throws.
- A skipping rope. Substitutes well for short aerobic intervals.
- Running shoes and a route. The 8 km of running is the same at home or gym.
Total cost: £100-180. One-time spend.
Station-by-station substitutions
| Station | Home substitute | What you lose | |---|---|---| | Ski erg | Burpees or skipping intervals | Specific shoulder pattern | | Sled push | Heavy farmer's carry uphill | Specific hip drive position | | Sled pull | Resistance band hand-over-hand | Sled-specific seated rhythm | | Burpee broad jump | Same thing, just at home | Nothing | | Rower | Skipping or running intervals | Cardiovascular pattern only | | Farmer's carry | Same with kettlebells | Nothing | | Sandbag lunges | Same with sandbag | Nothing | | Wall ball | Squat + dumbbell push press | Wall throw pattern |
Five of eight stations transfer perfectly. The other three are imperfect but workable.
Home race simulation #1: kettlebell + sandbag + run
Target: 60 minutes. Mimics race format without sled or ski erg.
| Segment | What | |---|---| | 1 | 1 km run, easy | | 2 | 50 burpees | | 3 | 1 km run | | 4 | 100 m walking lunges with sandbag | | 5 | 1 km run | | 6 | 40 burpee broad jumps | | 7 | 1 km run | | 8 | 100 m farmer's carry (heaviest possible kettlebells) | | 9 | 1 km run | | 10 | 100 m walking lunges with sandbag | | 11 | 1 km run | | 12 | 75 KB push press or 75 wall ball substitutes (squat-throw with sandbag) | | 13 | 1 km run home |
Total work: 8 km running + the equivalent of 6 stations.
Home race simulation #2: brutally minimal
Target: 45 minutes. For days when you have nothing but you.
| Segment | What | |---|---| | 1 | 1 km run | | 2 | 100 burpees | | 3 | 1 km run | | 4 | 80 lunges (40 each leg) | | 5 | 1 km run | | 6 | 100 squat jumps | | 7 | 1 km run | | 8 | 100 push-ups | | 9 | 1 km run home |
Total: 5 km running + 380 reps. Brutal. Mimics the alternating-run-and-effort feel of Hyrox without any kit.
Building station-specific fitness at home
The three Hyrox-specific patterns you can train at home:
1. Posterior chain endurance. Heavy kettlebell swings, single-leg deadlifts, hip thrusts. Twice per week, 30-45 minutes.
2. Aerobic + anaerobic mix. Run intervals (4 × 800 m at race pace + 2 min rest) and skipping pyramids (1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 minutes at hard effort).
3. Grip + carry endurance. Long farmer's carries with the heaviest weights you have. Build to 200 m unbroken.
What you can't train at home
Three Hyrox-specific things require gym access:
- The exact sled push position. Heavy farmer's carry uphill is the closest substitute but the hip-drive pattern of a real sled push is hard to replicate.
- The ski erg shoulder pattern. Cable pulldowns or rowing substitute but neither matches the ski erg's specific demand.
- The wall ball throwing target. Squat + push press substitutes the muscular pattern but not the targeting accuracy.
The hybrid approach
The realistic at-home Hyrox build:
- 4 home sessions per week. Aerobic intervals, strength, station-substitutes, race simulation.
- 1-2 gym sessions per month. Specifically for sled push, ski erg, and wall ball. Find a CrossFit gym or functional studio for a drop-in (£15-25 per session).
This gives you the volume + recovery of home training plus the specificity of occasional gym access.
Sample home week
| Day | Session | |---|---| | Mon | Aerobic intervals: 5 × 1 km at race pace + 2 min walk | | Tue | Strength: KB swings 5×10, single-leg DL 4×6, push-up 4×AMRAP, pull-up 4×AMRAP | | Wed | Easy aerobic 45 min | | Thu | Sandbag lunges + farmer carry combo: 3 rounds of 100 m each | | Sat | Race simulation (one of the two above) |
Sunday off. Friday off or 30 min easy walk.
When to upgrade
If you're racing Hyrox 3+ times per year, the cost of a gym membership (£30-50/month) becomes worth it. The specificity adds up.
If you're doing one Hyrox per year, training at home is fine. Add one drop-in gym session 2-3 weeks before race day to test the unfamiliar stations.
The honest summary
Hyrox is more trainable at home than most fitness racing. The running is the same. The sandbag lunges are the same. The burpees are the same. Five of eight stations transfer fully with minimal kit.
The three that don't (sled push, ski erg, wall ball) cost you about 10% of your race-day time if you've only trained them at home. Visit a gym 1-2 times in the last month to close that gap.
Most importantly: the 8 km of running underpins everything else. Run consistently, lift consistently, and you'll finish your Hyrox even without ever seeing a sled in training.
[ FAQ ]
Frequently asked
Can you train fully for Hyrox at home?
You can get 70-80% of race readiness with kettlebells, a sandbag, and a running route. The sled and ski erg are hard to replicate; you'll need 2-3 gym sessions per month for those.
What's the minimum kit?
A 16-24 kg kettlebell, a 10-20 kg sandbag, a skipping rope, and running shoes. Total cost £100-180.
How do you substitute the sled push?
Heavy farmer's carry uphill. Or pushing a loaded sandbag along a smooth floor. Imperfect but trains the same posterior chain pattern.
Will I be ready for race day if I train at home?
You'll finish, but pacing the unfamiliar stations costs 5-10 minutes on race day. Plan one full race-format gym session 2-3 weeks before the race.
Written by
The Suth Performance teamCoaches and editors
The Suth Performance programming team, led by HYROX Elite 15 athlete Ben Sutherland.
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